Canton man in fair condition after train accident

Friday

Nov 28, 2008 at 12:01 AMNov 28, 2008 at 3:53 PM

Jack Daniels, 61, of Canton, remains in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital after an Acela Amtrak train clipped the back part of his body while he was crossing railroad tracks at Canton Junction on Thanksgiving morning.

Staff reports

Jack Daniels, 61, of Canton, remains in fair condition at Massachusetts General Hospital after an Acela Amtrak train clipped the back part of his body while he was crossing railroad tracks at Canton Junction on Thanksgiving morning. The train was reportedly going 90 miles per hour, northbound, from New York to Boston.

“It skimmed him, and took part of his back side off, from what I saw. His clothes were ripped off,” said John O’Brien, who arrived at the scene a few seconds after the accident.

O’Brien added that Daniels was conscious when he saw him after the accident, and that he was looking for his teeth that apparently had been knocked out of his mouth during the accident.

“He was still standing, and he was in shock. People were talking to him, and he was trying to talk to them,” he said.

According to other eyewitness accounts, Daniels had just finished crossing the tracks, and had one leg up to get on the track platform. The train clipped him while he was attempting to get up on the station’s platform.

Rescue workers from the Canton fire station arrived within about two more minutes, O’Brien said, and began treating Daniels and wrapping him up. Daniels was then airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital.

Transit police are investigating the accident. Local police say that Daniels was reportedly on his way to Honey Dew Donuts when the accident occurred.

Transit Police Sgt. Preston Horton told WCVB news that the area has fences, signs, and big yellow lines to mark the danger area, and that people still trespass.